Newsela and Classroom Literacy Practices
Teaching method and its typical use in an
elementary or ELA classroom
Interactive Read Aloud:
The teacher reads aloud a text to the class or to
a small group to demonstrate engagement,
fluency, and pausing for deeper comprehension.
The teacher pauses both to model thinking
aloud and to engage students in prompted
partner or whole class discussion. Hearing text
read aloud well is important for developing a
sense for syntax, and for honing listening skills.
How the teacher could use Newsela text(s) in
this method of teaching
The teacher chooses a text that is at a Lexile
and level of qualitative complexity that is
appropriate for the majority of the class or the
small group – in this case it could be a bit above
their independent reading levels, as the reading
aloud and stopping to process will serve as
supports to understanding.
Shared Reading:
The teacher reads a text out loud with the class
or a small group: students see the text projected
on a SmartBoard or other screen, or every
student has a copy of the text. The teacher leads
a reading of the text, with students following
along, either silently or in a choral read. This
allows for the teacher to support students in
navigating a text – either through prompting
observations about conventions or tricky words
(fluency and decoding) and/or prompting for
making sense, synthesizing, and interpreting
across the text (comprehension).
The teacher chooses a text that presents
noteworthy features for the class or small group
to practice navigating together. For example,
the teacher might choose a text that presents an
internal text structure worth noticing and using
to support comprehension, such as
problem/solution or compare/contrast. Or a text
that presents several domain-specific
vocabulary words with their definitions
embedded in the text.
The teacher demonstrates transferable reading
moves (such as stopping and questioning, using
context clues to figure out tough words, etc.)
throughout the reading.
How students will be able to practice using
Newsela text(s)
Students do not have a copy of the text because if
they do, they are not likely to follow the teacher’s
pacing and thinking as closely. Instead, students
respond and discuss based on their listening
closely to the teacher’s reading of a text.
In future class periods, the teacher refers back to
the transferable reading moves from the read
aloud, either in the form of a chart or during
subsequent lessons. Students use these same
moves when reading Newsela articles they
choose, at their appropriate reading levels.
Students follow along and/or chorally read along,
participating in prompted discussion either by
reading from a sufficiently enlarged projection of
the text or reading from individual copies. In the
case of projecting the text, some students may
benefit from holding the text themselves (i.e.
students with low vision).
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Teaching method and its typical use in an
elementary or ELA classroom
Minilesson:
The teacher chooses a text or parts of a text to
demonstrate and/or have students practice a
specific reading strategy that will support
students going forward in reading informational
texts with fluency and comprehension.
Depending on the structure of the lesson, the
teacher might demonstrate on one section of a
text as part of the instruction, then ask students
to practice the same strategy on another
selected excerpt from the same text.
How the teacher could use Newsela text(s) in
this method of teaching
The teacher carefully selects excerpts from a
text to project on a screen or to give out to all
students that help to demonstrate the strategy
that will be taught in the lesson. For example, if
the lesson teaches fourth grade students that it’s
important to read across a number of small
details, then pause to ask: “What is the main
idea so far?” the teacher will choose selections
from the text that present several details that
point to a bigger idea, and demonstrate the
strategy for the students.
How students will be able to practice using
Newsela text(s)
Students get an opportunity to practice the
same strategy the teacher has demonstrated in
another selected part of the text.
Small Group Guided Reading:
The teacher gathers a group of students who,
according to assessment, read at a same/similar
reading level and/or demonstrate the need for
similar reading support. The teacher briefly
introduces an instructional text to the students:
the content of the text, and some of the
structural and vocabulary difficulties that the
text presents. The students then read the text
independently, with the teacher coaching into
their reading and bringing the group back
together at the end to share common
understandings and name transferable reading
strategies.
The teacher selects a text that is at a Lexile and
a qualitative complexity level slightly above the
reading level of the students in the small group.
The teacher plans for a text introduction that
scaffolds students’ approach to the text by
previewing some of the complex elements,
including key concepts, vocabulary and
structures.
All students are given an independent copy of
the text to read – either on the computer or in
a hard copy form. The teacher may decide
whether or not to ask students to complete
the quiz for the text, and whether students
complete it independently, after they finish
reading, or if the quiz will be part of the
group’s coming back together, as one way to
check for comprehension, or as a way for the
teacher to teach into the group’s work with
the quizzes. The teacher might then ask
students in the group to follow up by reading
additional articles at the same reading level.
During independent work time or during
homework reading, students will apply that
lesson and other prior lessons as they move
to read additional articles that they choose, at
their appropriate reading levels.
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Teaching method and its typical use in an
elementary or ELA classroom
Reading Conference
The teacher meets one-on-one with a student to
inquire about the student’s reading life and to
coach into the student’s reading habits and
performance, including engagement with
reading, decoding, fluency and comprehension.
The conference is both a follow-up to prior
assessment and a chance to assess in a more
conversational, personalized way. The teaching
can be personalized as well, with the teacher
recommending a course of work for the student,
making note of it and following up on it in the
next conference.
How the teacher could use Newsela text(s) in
this method of teaching
The teacher might come to a conference with a
number of Newsela texts in hand. S/he may
bring copies of or links to articles the student
has already read to investigate a student’s
comprehension work, especially if quiz scores
indicate misunderstanding. And/or the teacher
might bring a copy of or link to a new article
that will become a practice text within the
conference.
How students will be able to practice using
Newsela text(s)
The teacher will work with the student within
the conference, likely asking the student to
either read aloud or read silently with the
teacher, so that the teacher may coach into
the student’s work.
The teacher may also decide to ask the
student to practice the strategy that has been
taught in the conference on specific articles,
or on articles at a particular Lexile, or on a
specific topic.
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